[UPDATE # 7] Here’s the feedback on TL4 from the first beta testers
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Hello, everyone!
Over the past few weeks, we’ve run the very first beta testing phase for TL4, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took part in it.
Your feedback has been invaluable - and thanks to your participation, we’ve learned a lot.
Today, I want to give you an overview of what we heard from you and where we’re going next.
First of All: Thank You
The feedback we received was extremely useful and inspiring. Many of you shared stories about how TL has played a meaningful role in your astrophotography journey, and we’re honored to be a part of that.
As one beta tester put it:
“In my personal opinion, TL4 is a great advancement for astrophotography. Telescope Live is one of the best remote observatories in the world, and I appreciated the opportunity to discover wonderful images of the universe.”
Another wrote:
“Astrophotography has been a blessing during challenging life circumstances, and Telescope Live has significantly contributed to this. Thank you for what you do.”
We’re truly moved by the passion and dedication this community has always demonstrated.
What Beta Testers Liked the Most
Despite TL4 being in an early development stage, the overall response from beta testers was very positive. Several key improvements were repeatedly highlighted:
- A Smoother, Cleaner Interface
The new platform layout was described as “cleaner,” “more intuitive,” and “a pleasure to work with.” Many found it significantly easier to navigate, particularly on mobile devices, where usability has seen a noticeable upgrade.
- Improved Dataset Management
Testers appreciated the effort put into curating higher - quality datasets. Many noted how datasets now feel “cleaner,” easier to process, and better structured. The process of accessing and downloading data was also described as “faster and more seamless.”
- Gallery & Wallpaper Integration
The integration between datasets and gallery images was praised for creating a more cohesive experience. Testers also liked the ability to support community members by downloading high - resolution wallpapers, with one user commenting: “By grabbing wallpapers for just 1 credit, you get great backgrounds and directly support the authors.”
- Platform Performance
General performance improvements were widely recognized - especially in terms of responsiveness, speed, and visual clarity - marking a significant upgrade from TL3.
What Happens Next?
This first beta phase was only the beginning - and the feedback collected has already helped us identify and fix most of the issues encountered.
The vast majority of bugs reported were minor and have already been addressed.
In the coming weeks, we’ll focus on completing the work on remaining adjustments while preparing for the migration from the staging environment to the new live platform.
Once this step is complete - currently projected for May - we’ll move into the next and final stage of beta testing: the Release Candidate phase.
This will be a near-final version of TL4, made available to a small group of testers with the purpose of performing a final round of checks before the official public launch.
It’s our way of ensuring that everything is working smoothly and that the user experience is polished and consistent across the board.
We're getting closer - and we can’t wait to show you the full platform soon!
One Final Word from the Community
We’ll leave you with this quote from a tester that really sums up the direction we’re heading:
“The potential is very large; this was a great step for Telescope Live.”
And we couldn’t agree more.
Thank you again to everyone who participated - we’re one step closer to a TL4 that will serve this amazing community better than ever.